The world's largest gingerbread house, and more

The world's largest gingerbread house

A Texas golf club built the world’s largest gingerbread house last week, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for a local health center. The Traditions Club in Bryan built the 60-by-42-foot house out of 1,800 pounds of butter, 7,200 eggs, 7,200 pounds of flour, and almost 3,000 pounds of brown sugar, all donated for the project. The sugary structure is decorated with more than 22,300 pieces of candy. The house has already raised $150,000 for the nearby St. Joseph’s Trauma Center, and all proceeds from admission fees will go there too.

The millionaire next door

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No one expected Jack MacDonald to leave a large estate when he died. The elderly retiree lived in a Seattle convalescent home, collected coupons, and rarely bought new clothes. But when the former attorney passed away in September at the age of 98, he left behind an astonishing $187.6 million—and willed it all to charity. MacDonald’s secret fortune, amassed over six decades on the stock market, will benefit the University of Washington School of Law, the Salvation Army, and the Seattle Children’s Research Institute. The latter gift, worth $3.75 million a year, is the largest single donation to pediatric research in U.S. history.

Tyler Sexton's triumphant journey

Tyler Sexton began his life in a pediatric unit, struggling to survive after being born 12 weeks prematurely. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy affecting his legs and lower body, and underwent 16 surgeries as a child. Now age 28, Sexton is back in the pediatric unit as a second-year resident. Sexton still struggles to walk, but says his disability helps him bond with patients. “When I walk in a patient’s room, I can say, ‘I know what’s going on with you,’” he said. “I can instantly help them move past perceived barriers in their lives.”